Press & Awards

5 Tips to Take Better Food Photos with Your Smartphone

Whether you’re a food blogger or just a hungry person with a smartphone, chances are you’ve snapped a food photo for your social media feed. Don’t be ashamed! If you’re dining out at a restaurant, your photo is just paying homage to the hardworking chef who artfully prepared your delicious meal. If you love sharing your favorite culinary moments, here are some tips to help you step up your food photography game.

Find the Light

For an effortlessly beautiful photo, rely on natural light. This rule applies to food photos and “selfies” alike. If your restaurant booth is devoid of sunlight or if you’re dining well past sunset, turn off your flash and find a nearby candle. A camera phone flash will make your photo look harsh and unappetizing—if worse comes to worst use a cool photo filter.

Use Props

Props create an interesting atmosphere for your gourmet meal. If you’re at a restaurant, your options may be limited, but a wine glass or a vase of flowers can add an interesting touch to your photo. If you’re snapping pictures at home, grab some fresh herbs or fruit to add color to your plate!

Find Interesting Angles

An artsy food photo is just waiting to happen—stand up, squat down, and find some cool new angles to capture your plate from. If you’re a food photo taking novice, we recommend taking an above the table shot while standing up. This angle will give you an aerial view of your plate and dining setup. This will give your photo really interesting dimensions and shapes.

Let Your Dish Speak for Yourself

There’s not much that needs to be done if your culinary presentation is on point. Every angle will be pure magic—so have fun with it! Try snapping a photo of the entire plate from above or try a close-up shot. This works really well for vibrant dishes that have foods from across the color spectrum.

Find the Right Editing App

Even the most delicious plate of food or well-intentioned setup can produce underwhelming photo results. Don’t worry—you might be able to salvage your artsy photo with the right editing app. There are many to choose from on the Apple and Android app stores; even the free ones are fairly robust.

The best advice we can give you is to just enjoy the food, the moment, and have fun with your newfound photography skills! And if you’re snapping a food photo at Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza be sure to tag us @sammyswpizza. We can’t wait to share your favorite food moments with you!